HC04-Beneath the Green Cheese Moon
by VStarTraveler
Summary: As Christmas approaches some weeks after the events of "Under a Pumpkin Moon," Buck's storytelling is taken a bit too literally, putting precious lives in danger. Will John, Buck, Mano, and the bunkhouse boys be able to save them in time? The Epilogue was released on Christmas Day, 2016. Complete!
1. Prologue

**HC04: Beneath the Green Cheese Moon**  
by VStarTraveler

 ** _Summary:_** _As Christmas approaches some weeks after the events of "Under a Pumpkin Moon," Buck's storytelling is taken a bit too literally, putting precious lives in danger. Will John, Buck, Mano, and the bunkhouse boys be able to save them in time?_

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _This story is a work of fiction, written entirely for fun and not for profit. This interpretation of The High Chaparral is entirely my own, and The High Chaparral and all of its various components remain the property of their respective owners._

* * *

 **Prologue:**

It was Thanksgiving at High Chaparral Ranch and Victoria was ready.

She and the other women who now called the ranch home had spent parts of the previous two days preparing everything in advance that could be done early, but she was still up a bit before dawn on the morning on which John had agreed to host their annual feast. She went downstairs to find that Violeta was already tending the fire and getting the previously prepared portion of breakfast ready to be warmed.

"Buenos días, Senora Cannon," said the housekeeper. "Happy Thanks-giv-ing," she added, pronouncing the English word carefully.

"And Happy Thanksgiving, to you, too, Violeta."

The woman understood English well after her years of service, but still found some of the foreign words to be somewhat difficult to say correctly. She nodded with a smile in return and slid the large stack of tortillas in a covered, heavy clay dish into the oven to be warmed.

Victoria saw that the big pan of ham slices was already in the oven and the big kettle of oatmeal was just about to start simmering on the stove. "Great job, Violeta. I'm going to step outside to check on our main attraction."

Outside in the summer kitchen she found Roy sitting in a chair tipped back against the wall sound asleep and Joe standing up but yawning strenuously.

"Good morning, Joe."

The younger Butler jumped in surprise. "Mrs. Cannon! Sorry, I didn't hear you come out."

"I wanted to check on our turkeys. Did you have any trouble keeping the fire smoking through the night?"

"No, ma'am. Roy and I took turns and we added the wood right on schedule. These birds ought to be just right by noontime."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you, Joe, and you, too, Roy."

Roy, on hearing Joe say his name, had stirred and stood up, but was yawning even more fiercely than Joe. When he was finally able to shut his mouth, he mumbled, "You're welcome, Mrs. Cannon. After smelling these birds smokin' all night, I can barely wait 'til lunchtime."

Joe nodded in agreement. Since they had volunteered for the night shift, they would be allowed to sleep in through part of the morning and then eat with the family and first group of hands at noonday meal.

Victoria looked in the firebox and saw that it was well stoked, so she said, "Thank you, again. I'll take it from here. You two go get some sleep and we will see you at noon."

Roy took off for the bunkhouse and Joe headed home. Both men were asleep soon thereafter.

~HC~

Later that morning, Victoria went over her list and found that arrangements were proceeding according to plan. She peeked out the door and saw Bobby and Betsy playing on the swing that John had built for them. Uncle Mano was going back and forth between them, pushing them higher in turn.

They'd already come in twice asking when the meal would be ready. She wasn't sure but she suspected that Mano had put them up to it.

There would actually be two meals, with the first for the family, guests, and some of the boys at noon. The hands who ate at the early meal would relieve those on the south range or be assigned to other tasks a little later in the afternoon, and those relieved would be seated at the second meal at dinner time. Despite the advance preparations, there would still be a lot to do between the meals.

Checking the clock, Victoria knew it was approaching time for their guests to arrive, so she carefully stepped down the narrow stair to the cellar buried below the kitchen to get the final cooled ingredients needed for the meal.

She opened the door and felt the deliciously cool air on her face.

Having grown up in Sonora and having lived in Arizona for so many years, she was quite used to the heat but it was still always such a refreshing feeling to open that door and feel the sudden caress of cool air in the room. She stepped in and hastily closed the door, not wanting to allow the still formidable November heat from upstairs to warm the room more than was absolutely necessary.

Inside the cellar, she gathered the butter and other items she needed, placing them in the basket by the door. With almost everything collected, she approached the last item.

It was circular, about 12-inches in diameter, and about 3-inches high. It was tannish in color, but the surface was waxy to the touch. She picked it up and carried it to the table where she drew a large knife from its slot. Positioning it across to the center of the circle, she applied the heel of her left hand to the back of the blade and pushed down gently with both hands. The knife slide through the wheel until it touched the table. She repeated this on the other side, separating the wheel into two equal halves.

Victoria withdrew the knife and then carefully peeled away a layer of wax from one half of the wheel. She then folded it over the now exposed face of the other half, which was then wrapped in a stiff cloth and placed it back on the shelf.

Her cuts had revealed an orangish-yellow interior of the wheel and she looked at it with a smile.

Cheese!

It was one of her favorite treats but one which had been frequently missing for a number of years due to it rarely being available in Tucson. The arrival of the railroad and the steadier source of supplies had changed that so now a new wheel of cheese came to the ranch with almost every resupply trip.

She was about to put it in the basket with the rest of the items but it looked so tasty, so tempting.

Glancing at the door as if expecting a visitor but hoping against hope that they wouldn't arrive, she grinned to herself as she cut off a little sliver and slowly slid it in her mouth, placing it atop her tongue.

She wasn't sure if it was the cool temperature in the cellar or the taste of that delicacy that gave her a brief shiver as she slowly enjoyed that little slice of golden goodness.

Glorious cheese!

She ever so briefly considered taking just one more slice, but mealtime was approaching and her guests would be arriving soon, so she placed the half-wheel in her basket and headed back upstairs after relatching the door.

It was, after all, Thanksgiving, and cheese was just one more thing for which she had to be thankful in her life.

~HC~

 ** _Author's Note:_** _Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Wishing everyone a blessed day, whether you celebrate the holiday or not. Hope you'll take a moment to think about those special people or things in your life for which you are thankful. If they're people, please consider letting them know._

 _This story will unfold in several chapters between now and Christmas (if all goes as planned!). I encourage readers to leave reviews and comments to let me know your thoughts on the story. Follows and favorites (if deserving) are welcomed, too!_

 _Finally, my apologies to the National Dairy Board for borrowing a bit from their 1980s commercial. I've been humming their commercial periodically ever since coming up with this idea. Of course, they borrowed and tweaked it a bit from "Oliver," so who's to say that Victoria couldn't have thought in those terms herself? ;-)_

 _Thanks,_

 _VST_


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

As autumn of 1883 continued its unceasing march toward winter, the aftereffects of the Krakatoa explosion continued to be felt around the world, including in southeastern Arizona on the High Chaparral.

The sunrises and sunsets continued to be rather spectacular; it would be many months before they returned to normal. However, on that particular evening, it was the temperature that was of more concern. The daily temperatures on the ranch were a little lower than typical and the nights had become somewhat colder. A very thin glaze of ice was even noted in watering troughs on occasion and this early December evening felt to be the coldest yet. As such, John had stoked the fire in the fireplace and the Cannon family had gathered close around it, feeling the encouraging warmth it provided.

Little Betsy and Bobby were dressed for bed and were seated between their parents. Victoria draped a large cover she had knitted over their laps as John opened the Cannon family Bible. He flipped it a few times coming to a stop at Matthew, Chapter 2, while Mano and Buck took their seats opposite them.

"Last night we read about the birth of baby Jesus and how the angels informed the shepherds who came to see him the night he was born in the stable," said John. "Tonight, we're going to read about the other group who came to see him a few days later."

He turned back to the Bible and started to read:

 _Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,_

 _Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him._

John continued reading the next few verses, concluding with:

 _When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was._

 _When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy._

 _And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened_ _their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh._

 _And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way._

When John finished the passage, he gently closed the book to see that both children had pensive looks on their faces. This led to a series of questions and the adults taking turns explaining the story so the youngsters could understand it better.

"So they came a long way to bring Baby Jesus presents? Why did they do that?"

Victoria fielded this part of Betsy's inquiry. "Yes, they came a long way because they knew Jesus was very special, a King, and they wanted to give him special gifts. Their presents each mean something and help show how truly special Baby Jesus really was. And that's the reason we give gifts at Christmas. We can't give gifts to Baby Jesus so we give them to each other to honor him and the gifts the Wise Men gave him."

Bobby, ever the clever one, pounced on this. "Mamá, does that mean we are going to get gifts for Christmas, too?"

The look on Betsy's face showed that she was interested in the answer, too.

Victoria smiled at her twins, seeing how much they'd grown and how much more they understood, both good and bad, during this Christmas season in comparison to the last. She nodded and said, "I believe there will be a gift for each of you, right, John?"

John nodded, too. "Yes, I believe so, too. We want you to understand though, like my parents always told me, Christmas is more about giving than receiving. God gave us the gift of Baby Jesus and the Wise Men gave their gifts, too. Now, I also believe that it's bedtime for _some_ people."

After hugging their uncles, the children almost ran up the stairs. Victoria and John followed, tucking them in and kissing them goodnight.

~HC~

In addition to the sunsets, sunrises, and the temperature, even the moon was affected by the aftermath of Krakatoa.

It was a bit over a week later, nearing mid December, when the time of the full moon arrived. It was a clear evening and was dark relatively early, so Victoria let the children stay up a bit late to look at the pale orb through the little telescope that their brother Blue had sent a few months before for their birthday. Buck and Mano had volunteered to sit with the children on the porch so they could spend some time with their niece and nephew and get to play with the telescope again while John and Victoria enjoyed a seemingly rare moment of privacy.

"When will the moon be up, Uncle Mano?" asked Bobby. "I think the stars look the same through the telescope as they do without it."

"Based on last night, it shouldn't be too long," replied Manolito. "It will come up right over there," he added, pointing to a spot in the east.

Sure enough, it was only minutes later when the edge of the disk started peeking up above the horizon. Mano adjusted the telescope for the kids so that by the time the moon was fully up, they were ready to look at it. When he had it set as close as he could, it was Betsy's turn to look through the ocular.

When she did, Mano made a final fine adjustment based on her eyes and she started looking up at Earth's satellite with a new appreciation. However, while she had seen the moon a number of times in her few years, it was, on that particular night, a greenish color unlike any she had ever seen before. She yanked Bobby's arm, whispered in his ear, and had him look, too, to see if, just perhaps, she was seeing things. He was wide-eyed after a quick look, nodding in response.

While Mano shifted the telescope a bit to keep Luna in its view, Betsy and Bobby quickly conferred in whispered tones while Buck held a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing since he could hear almost everything they said.

A moment later, little Betsy turned toward him and asked, "Uncle Buck, why is the moon green?"

Mano looked up from the telescope with a grin, wondering how Buck would explain the effects of the volcano that he'd recently read about in the Tucson newspaper. However, he wasn't expecting the wink that Buck gave him.

Remembering John's recent warning, Mano shook his head at his best friend, but Buck went on anyway, "Well, Miss Betsy, I's always heard that the moon's a'made'a green cheese."

"Green cheese!" exclaimed Betsy. "Mamá really likes cheese but we don't have it very often since she says somebody has to send it to Tucson by train."

"Papá says that Christmas is coming soon and that it's better to give than receive," said Bobby. "Can we give her some for Christmas?"

Buck shook his head. "Well, kids, ya' don't actually eat the green cheese. Ya' see, green cheese is cheese that ain't quite ready to eat. Ya' got to let it sit on the shelf and get ripe."

Bobby looked quizzically at him and asked, "Uncle Buck, how long does it take for green cheese to get ripe?"

Buck scratched his chin a bit as he considered. "Ya know, I's don't rightly know," he replied. "Depends on the type of cheese and how old it is to start with, I reckon."

"Is the moon very old?" asked Betsy.

"Yeah, I'd say it is.

"How high up is it?" asked Bobby.

Buck looked even more perplexed at this question. "Hmmm. It's a right good distance, I'd say, though I's felt like I could reach right out and almost touch it when I climbed a ridge some years back."

Seeing Betsy yawning, Mano discreetly signaled Buck, who nodded in agreement. Mano stood up and said, "Okay, bedtime, children. Vámonos!"

Tucked into bed a few minutes later, Betsy was soon sound asleep.

Bobby, on the other hand, lay awake under his covers. He was busy making careful plans until sleep finally overcame him, too.

~HC~

 ** _Author's Note:_** _Many thanks to Junebug, Nillis82, wotwasithinkin, MJRod, Cathy, and a guest for the encouraging comments on the prologue to this story. I really appreciate the kind words and the desire for the story to continue. Since this is primarily a Christmas story (the prologue not withstanding), I hope to be able to finish the last couple of chapters by Christmas Day. Speaking of which,_ _I hope everyone is having a great Christmas season!_

 _The scripture quoted is from the King James Version, which would have been commonly used at that time. Family Bibles were used to record births and deaths of family members, so they were family heirlooms, treasured and passed from generation to generation. The 1611 translation (including the passages quoted) is in the public domain worldwide except in the United Kingdom.  
_


	3. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note:_** _Hi, everyone! Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas or Holiday Season.  
_

 _Thanks to Cathy, Junebug, and MJRod for the recent reviews, comments, and questions (see below). I always enjoy reading the readers thoughts on my work, even if they are suggestions for improvements or pointing out issues I've overlooked. Due to Igenlode Wordsmith's comment on "Under a Pumpkin Sky," I'm currently almost 2/3rds of the way way through Simon Winchester's "Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded, August 27, 1883." In doing my initial online research on the event, I didn't realize that word of the explosion spread around the world as quickly as it had due to the use of trans-oceanic telegraph lines. While the effects of the volcanic explosion (including the spectacular sunsets featured in that story) weren't understood for quite some time, word of the explosion reached major population centers in a matter of hours. Even those in the then-backwater town of Tucson and its vicinity would have heard eventually!_

 _In response to Cathy's current question, the children would be almost 6-1/2 years old at the time of this story. They were born in the summer (mid to late July) of 1877 in "The Ride" and the events described herein take place in December 1883. There have also been a couple of requests for a description of the kids, but I've held off on that so far for a specific reason to be revealed before too long._

 _:-)_

* * *

 **Chapter 2:**

Violeta walked into the kitchen and saw the puddles of water on the floor.

That Buck!

She'd seen him go in there shortly after breakfast so she was sure he was the culprit. After all, he was to her the most infuriatingly sloppy man she'd ever seen. She would exercise her hard won English on him when she saw him next! She would have to remember not to accidentally slip back into Spanish like she had the last time.

She gathered the mop and a pail and was about to start cleaning it up when she paused. There on the baked tile floor was a little footprint, much smaller than Buck's boot, and then another and another still.

Violeta sighed as she realized that she would not be chewing Buck out this time. She swirled the mop through the water and then twisted and squeezed it out into the pail. A few more swipes and she would cover up the children's playful antics and keep them from getting a mild version of the tongue thrashing from Victoria that she herself had planned to give Buck.

As the water slowly left the floor and was squeezed out into the bucket, she was wondering what Bobby and Betsy had been doing to cause them to make such a mess.

~HC~

Roy Lauder entered the tack room to put away the lead he'd been using for training the new mare. It had dropped on the ground when she'd jerked away from him, so he picked up a stiff-bristled scrub brush. Laying the lead on the bench used for harness repairs, he ran the brush over it a few times to remove the flecks of caked on corral grime. When it looked clean, he got a rag from a bin, poured in a bit of neatsfoot oil, and then started pulling the lead through the rag. A few passes coated it well, so he then turned the rag to a dry corner and pulled the lead through a few more times to remove any excess oil.

Hanging it up so it hung vertically, he put everything away, cleaned the bench, and then swept the floor as Joe had taught him to do. That was when he saw the door to the storage closet was slightly ajar. Opening the door, he looked inside and saw that someone had knocked the spare sets of saddle bags off their hook on the wall. Looking around, the culprit had already escaped, so he set about restoring them to their rightful place.

A few moments later, it was done and he closed the door. He hadn't bothered counting the sets he hung up back up on the wall since he didn't know how many belonged there. If he had known and had bothered to count, he would have discovered that one set was missing.

~HC~

The children were playing outside in the yard under Chuck's watchful eye while Victoria was hidden in her room working on their Christmas presents. She was currently sewing a beautiful little satin dress for Betsy's new doll. She had a roll of piping and some lace still to be added.

Drying on the shelf were the little toy soldiers and horses to which she had carefully applied another color of paint. They would be ready for the fine details sometime after lunch.

Both of the presents had come all the way from Chicago. Blue had found them at the Montgomery Ward department store and had sent them, along with a few boxes of his own, so they arrived by train in Tucson in late November. He'd put a copy of the new Montgomery Ward catalog in the crate with the presents.

As she was putting the things away, Victoria glanced at the marvelous catalog sitting on her bureau. With the doll dress hidden, she flipped the catalog open to a dog-eared page and looked at the dress once more. Someday, perhaps, she would be able to order it. For now, she simply couldn't believe all of the fantastic items that were available through the mail now that the train came through Tucson!

It was time to start making lunch, so Victoria headed downstairs to the kitchen only to find Violeta staring at the ham she'd brought up out of the cellar.

"Violeta! What happened to the ham? It looks like a coyote...or maybe a bear...has been chewing on it!" It was all Victoria could do to keep from laughing.

"Oh, señora, no sé, I don't know. I found it on the shelf hacked up like this, with the dirty knife right next to it. And the one of the stacks of tortillas I made yesterday is gone, too," said Violeta worriedly. "I saw that Buck come in the kitchen earlier, but I don't think even _he_ would do _this_."

Victoria shook her head. "No, Violeta, that looks like it might be the work of somewhat smaller and less steady Cannon hands, if I have my guess. It's time for them to get ready for lunch anyway, so I'll go find the children while you do what you can with this. We'll get to the bottom of it shortly."

Violeta started cutting ragged slices of ham off of the whole as Victoria went outside to fetch the twins.

Not seeing them on their swing as expected, she called, "Bobby! Betsy! It's time to clean up for lunch! Come on in!"

She got no response, so she went on outside and looked around for them as she again called, "Bobby! Betsy! Lunch time!" She started walking around the house, wondering where they were hiding.

The response came from Chuck on the roof of the house. "Mrs. Cannon?"

Looking up, Victoria smiled at Chuck and said, "Chuck, can you tell me where they're hiding? They need to come in now."

He looked confused. "That's just it, Ma'am. They're not out here. Bobby said Betsy was cold, so they said they were going back inside a good while ago."

"Oh, thank you, Chuck! I didn't hear them come inside so I'll go check their room."

"You're welcome, Ma'am. Any time." The man resumed his watchful rounds walking the roof perimeter, looking for anything that might be approaching the ranchhouse.

Victoria went inside and headed upstairs. She opened the door to their room to surprise them with a playful "Boo!" However, she was the one who got the surprise when the door opened to reveal an empty room.

Their hiding was starting to get to her but she became a more concerned when she was that Bobby's bottom drawer was open with some of his clothes pulled partly out, keeping it from shutting. She looked around the room, under the beds, and then out in the hallway. Then she quickly checked each of the other bedrooms except her own, which she had already locked due to the presents inside. With each room she completed, she became more anxious.

"Violeta! Have you seen the children?" she called as she rushed down the stairs.

"No, Señora," replied Violeta as she came out of the kitchen while wiping her hands on a towel.

Both women quickly looked through the lower level of the house, checking all of the potential hiding places. Violeta even ran back downstairs to look in the cellar.

When they had no luck finding them, Victoria headed outside to see if they had gone back out. She called up to alert Chuck to be on the lookout for the kids, and moments later several of the other hands who were on home duty that day joined in the search.

~HC~

It was almost 1 PM when John and the fencing crew rode under the "High Chaparral" arch and headed up to the front of the house. He was about to rein to a stop when Victoria ran around the corner from the side of the house heading straight toward him. Seeing her biting her lower lip and tears on her cheeks, he quickly swung down from the saddle and started toward her.

Her news was too important to wait until they closed the distance.

She called out, "John! The children! They are missing!"

* * *

 _ **Follow-up Note:** I've followed MJRod's lead that Roy is experienced with horses. If you haven't had the opportunity, I encourage you to check out MJ's High Chaparral stories. _

_The 1883 Montgomery Ward catalog contained 240 pages and included approximately 10,000 items available for mail order. It was the first "national" catalog of its type and became popularly known as the "Wish Book" due to all of the goodies inside. Catalog publication ceased in 1985 after 113 years._

 _Neatsfoot oil is still used today for conditioning leather products such as saddles and horse tack. Having grown up on a farm, we usually had a bottle around. Unfortunately, my experience was that it was not an effective waterproofing agent for leather boots despite my father's initial claims..._


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Within minutes, John had organized the search party to look for the children.

Sam was assigned to lead the main party, the hands searching every nook and cranny around the entire home and ranch operations area and then spreading outward from there. John held a few people back for special jobs.

He sent Reno up on the roof of the main house to join Chuck with another pair of binoculars. "Reno, take the new scoped Winchester. It's in the rack downstairs. You two are to search the outer perimeter for the children with those binoculars, but be on the lookout for any threats that might be made against the ranch while the rest of us are out searching. We don't know but this could possibly be an organized attack on the High Chaparral by Lord knows whom. You two will be the first line of defense if an attack begins and you have to hold them off until the rest of us can get back."

"Will do, Mr. Cannon. Now, go find those little ones."

Victoria mouthed a thank you to Reno as he turned to head into the house. He gave her an understanding nod in reply.

"Now, Mano, Buck, and Pedro, go out about a hundred yards beyond the fence and started circling. Spread out and try to pick up any tracks or other signs of the kids, or those who might have taken them. It's going to get dark in a few hours and we'll need all the luck we can get to bring them home before that. Now, go make some."

"Got it, Brother John. We's gonna find our kids," declared Buck solemnly as he swung up on Rebel. The three outriders went out in three different directions to cover ground as quickly as possible.

Victoria clung to John's arm, fighting tears. She wanted desperately to talk with him, but he had a couple more assignments to make.

"Roy, you've turned out to be one of our faster riders. You're to ride as quickly as you can to the south range to find Joe and the hands watching the herd." John reached in his pocket and pulled out the little notebook and pencil stub he always carried. He hastily scrawled a message and handed it to Roy. "Give this to Joe or Cookie as soon as you can find them. "Joe's to keep Cookie and a skeleton crew to mind the herd. He's to send Wind back as quickly as possible with the rest of the spare crew so they can join the search. Your horse will be tired, so you stay to help with the herd. This is important, Roy, but I know you can do this, okay?"

Roy tended to suffer from a lack of self confidence, but this time, he drew a breath and said, "Yes, Sir, Mr. Cannon! You can count on me!" He ran for his horse and was on his way just moments later.

"This may take a while, so we're going to need food and warmth as the temperature falls. Victoria, gather up cold weather gear and warm clothes and blankets for the kids. Have Violeta brew coffee and make cold food that we can transport and maybe a kettle of soup."

Victoria nodded having already planned to do as John said. She gripped his arm even tighter for a moment before relaxing it. "John, I'm so worried, but you have to go find Betsy and Bobby. Please, save them."

He drew her tight for a quick kiss. "We're going to bring them home safely."

A couple of minutes later, John was well past Mano and ready to do what some felt John did best: to yell.

"Bob-by! Bet-sy! Bob-by! Bet-sy! Where are you?" he called as he rode Billy well beyond the outer search perimeter, his eyes constantly scanning the distance for any sign of his kids. "Bob-by! Bet-sy!" he continued.

The search had been underway for about 20 minutes when Tex called out, "I think I've got something!"

Seeing no signs in his view, John rode back toward the ranch house. He called to Mano to keep searching the perimeter as he passed nearby. A minute later, he dismounted as he neared Tex's location, being careful not to disturb any tracks that might indicate where the children were heading.

"What is it, Tex?" he asked as he stepped up.

Sam was down on one knee next to Tex, looking at the marks on the ground. He was clearly worried as he did the rare action of dispensing with formality with his boss but also his friend.

"I think this is them, John. These look like their footprints, and I don't see any others, so it looks like they're out here on their own. They're heading west-northwest.

"Great work, Tex, Sam," said John as he took a closer look and found himself in agreement. "Let's fan out from here. Tex, you follow the tracks, and Sam, get the rest of the boys searching outward from here. I'll get Buck and them to join me in a jump ahead to see if we can cut them off."

~HC~

Victoria had gathered a bundle of clothes and blankets for the kids and thrown them in the back of the buckboard while Isabella was harnessing the horses and hooking them up to it. She ran to the bunkhouse and collected all of the coats on the pegs, too, and soon had them piled in the back, too.

Next, she checked in with Violeta in the kitchen. Violeta gave her a hug and whispered in Spanish that it would be all right, that the searchers would find the children and have them home soon. "I have the kitchen under control, Señora. Go help with the search."

Victoria nodded and thanked her before running back upstairs.

She reemerged from her room a couple of minutes later wearing her riding pants and boots. Donning her coat, she started to head out the door, but as she glanced at the ladder, she changed her mind. She grabbed the last pair of binoculars from the rack, put the cord around her neck, and started climbing up the ladder.

Popping the hatch, she climbed up to see both of the watchers looking around in surprise.

"I have to do something," she explained. "I have to help search for my babies."

Chuck approached and nodded to her in understanding. He bowed his head slightly as he started speaking before continuing to search the distance. "Mrs. Cannon, I'm so very sorry. It's all my fault that they're gone. I should have let you know that they were going inside. And I should have seen them going back out."

She shook her head. "Chuck, it wasn't your fault. I should have been watching them myself rather than asking you to do it. I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to slip away and work on their Christmas presents, but I didn't dream that they would run away. They're six years old! They know we love them. Why? Why would they run away?"

As she spoke, she too was looking at each little tree, bush, or clump in the distance, trying desperately to see her little ones hiding behind each spot.

"Mrs. Cannon, no mother can watch their kids all of the time. Everyone needs a break sometime, so you can't blame yourself. It's not your fault either. They're out there somewhere, and wherever they are, they have to know that you and Mr. Cannon love them, and that everyone here at the ranch will search for them until they're found."

Seeing tears streaming down her face, he reached out and gingerly took her in his arms with a very careful hug. He patted her back as he said, "They'll find them soon and it will be okay."

She thanked him and turned to begin searching through the binoculars. Adjusting them to her eyes, she silently prayed that her children would indeed be brought home safely and then started quietly humming a Christmas hymn to give her hope. It must not have been quite quiet enough, however, since Reno and Chuck were soon humming the same tune with her.

~HC~

The tracks continued on to the west-northwest in a generally straight line, as if they had a specific goal rather than just being lost as he had initially expected. However, John was at a complete loss as to why. He knew of almost nothing that would interest them in that direction between that point and the Santa Ritas. What could his children possibly be thinking?

Mano was out in front, leading the way. Suddenly, he drew up, and jumped down from Macadoo, looping the reins off to a small scrub. "This looks like something new," he called.

John and Buck joined him moments later. Pedro dismounted, too, and then waved to the rest of the search party following behind to move forward more quickly to join them.

Mano pointed to a small depression in the sand with a groove leading off in the same direction as before. "Look at this. It looks like they're dragging something behind them now. Betsy's been following Bobby to this point, but see here, when this furrow begins, she now appears to be walking beside him. It's not very deep, but it trails behind them, wiping out Bobby's right footprint sometime and the other one occasionally. See here, it's bumping over rocks and such."

"Good job, Mano. What could they be dragging? It looks…sort of like it's rounded, like maybe a pole?"

"Yeah, maybe," agreed Buck. "It don't look sharp like a corner, though it might'n be just be ly'n flat, and it's got a bit 'a weight to it since it ain't skewin' around all over the place."

Several of the other hands had come up and circled around, also being careful not to spoil the tracks ahead. On hearing the discussion, Randy spoke up.

"Excuse me, Mr. Cannon. I think I may know what that is. Bobby was trying to pull a pole out of that stack in back of the stable yesterday. He said he needed it for a game. I helped him get it out and then he stood it up on end. He said it had to be taller than Buck could reach."

John looked puzzled. "What game could they possibly be playing?"

"I don't know, Sir, but Betsy came up right about then and gave me a tin can that she'd gotten out of the trash bin. She'd washed it up clean. They asked me to nail it to the side of the pole on one end. It was only one nail, Sir, so I really didn't think it would hurt anything or that anybody would miss it. I'm really sorry, Sir."

"Thanks, Randy. You did nothing wrong, but I still don't understand what's going through their minds. The Santa Fe Railroad surveyors came through a while back trying to lay out the right-of-way they're planning to buy from us, but there's nothing that way right now except maybe a few survey flags and the Santa Rita range."

Buck was standing back with a strange look, as if lost in thought. He started saying something to himself and then turned toward Mano. "Mano, you's don't think that that those kids..." His voice trailed off in disbelief.

Mano was nodding to himself slowly even as Buck was speaking. His gazed snapped toward his friend and when their eyes met, he suddenly snapped his fingers.

"¡Aiy yi yi! John, I think we may know what the children are doing!"

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes:_** _Thanks to Cathy for the lovely review and comments. Since this story is a lot different than my earlier High Chaparral efforts, I'd love to know and will appreciate your thoughts. Thank you!_

 _According to the map of the area shown in Episode 1.22, The Peacemaker, High Chaparral Ranch was southeast of Tucson and to the east of a small mountain range which can be identified on a real topographic map of the area as the Santa Rita Mountains, with the Santa Rita Foothills probably located a bit north of the ranch house. A tall ridge substituted for the mountain range in the series. Mount Wrightson, to the southwest of the supposed ranch house location, is 9,453 feet tall, but much of the northern end of the range is between 5,500 to 6,000 feet above mean seal level. With the general area of the home being in the 4,000 to 5,000 foot range,_ _it looks to me like the producers did a nice job of representing the area._

 _The first telescopic rifle scope was invented between 1835 and 1840 was the Chapman-James sight, invented as a collaboration between John R. Chapman, a civil engineer, and Morgan James, who actually built the device. Scopes became more widely available during the Civil War for use by snipers, and after the war by those in the general public who had the money and the patience to put up with them. Since early scopes were somewhat fragile, could not be sealed against moisture, and were therefore prone to fogging up, they tended to work better in fixed locations in dry climates such as might have been found at the High Chaparral._

 _Canned foods were invented due to a French initiative during the Napoleonic Wars. They needed to be able to feed their far-flung armies, so Nicolas Appert, a young French chef, is credited with the invention in the early 1800s. Canned foods were widely used and accepted in the United States during the Civil War, so they were soon common throughout the American West as railroads solved the shipping and distribution issues._


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

"Bobby, _I'm tired_. I think this is a lot farther than you said, too."

"Betsy, maybe it's a little farther, but we've got to keep going," replied her brother.

"Can we stop and get something to eat? I'm cold and I'm hungry, too," she whined.

"Just for a little bit, okay?"

The kids sat down and Betsy pulled the saddlebags from around her neck. "That's heavy and it's rubbing my neck," she said as she dropped it on the ground in front of her. Fumbling with the buckles, she opened it up and reached in to pull out the ham and tortilla wraps that they'd packed. Both children were soon eating their little meal.

Bobby devoured his portion and then popped the top of the canteen, taking a drink before handing it to his sister.

Betsy put the last of her wrap down on a rock next to her to take the canteen. "Thank you."

She was putting the cork back in the top after a good drink when Bobby asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Bobby, do we have to? My feet hurt and I want to go home."

Bobby was tired and his feet hurt, too, but he wasn't about to give up on his plan. "Yes, Betsy, we've got to keep going. We'll be there before too long."

He stood up and hung the canteen back across his neck and shoulder before picking up the slightly lighter saddle bags and draping them around Betsy's shoulders. He was about to pick up the pole when a strange yapping sound came from some distance away.

"Bobby, that's a coyote!" bleated Betsy. "I'm scared."

"Bet-sy!" huffed her brother. "That's not a coyote! Besides, Uncle Buck says leave coyotes along and they'll leave you along. I'm not bothering them and you'd better not be either. Now let's go."

Dragging the pole behind him, he started up the slope of the side of the Santa Rita range with Betsy just a little behind him. She was soon peeking over her shoulder to make sure there weren't any coyotes sneaking up behind her.

~HC~

Fortunately, Betsy wasn't around when the big coyote with scars on his face and one flop ear slunk into what had been their resting place just minutes earlier. As the beast's temporary hunting partner approached, he rapidly sniffed the array of smells that blanketed the area, including the strongest coming from next to a rock.

Finding the remnants of Betsy's meal, the coyote grabbed it off the ground and, in a couple of gulps, soon had it downed. Still hungry, and with his smaller companion's glare, he sniffed again and began to follow the most enticing scent.

~HC~

Standing on the slope and looking up, Bobby was slowly beginning to realize the mountain was a lot taller than it looked from a distance, the side of the mountain was steeper as it went further up, and the pole he was dragging was getting heavier all of the time. With the sun having slipped past the peak of the mountain, it was starting to get colder, too and the wind that whistled down the mountainside made it even worse.

"Bob-by! I wanna' go home," pouted Betsy, just holding back the tears.

Despite the fact that he was a few minutes younger than his sister, Bobby was bigger than her and, trying to be like his Uncles Buck and Mano, he saw himself as her brave protector. He adopted a determined frown that was a somewhat laughable attempt at his father's perturbed look. Further emulating his father, he exclaimed, " _Anna Elizabeth Cannon_! You _can't_ give up!"

Betsy, however, was a few minutes older and, since she had inherited her mother's stubborn streak, she didn't see the need for his protection or for him to make decisions for her. She planted her little hands on her hips determinedly like her mother sometimes did with their father and the frown on her face was a decent, though unplanned, imitation of her, too. With those actions and Betsy's silky black hair and dark brown eyes, she looked a lot like a miniature version of their mom as she replied, "Bobby, I'm going home!"

The boy looked excited as he said, "Ha! You can't! Mamá and Papá say we're always supposed to stay together, particularly if something happens and we're away from home." He stuck his tongue out at her but quickly pulled it back in as she stepped close to him.

Looking into brown eyes that were only slightly less dark than her own, she replied, "They said we're not supposed to leave the fence either so you've got to come with _me_!" She crinkled her nose at him for a moment and then looked off in the distance toward the ranch house, but she was surprised when she couldn't see it. "Where's our house?" she asked.

Bobby pulled his hat off and scratched his head through a mop of sandy brown hair for a moment before admitting, "I don't know. I don't see it. It should be over…there…somewhere."

"I thought it was over there," said Betsy, pointing farther to the southeast. "I guess we'll have to climb a little higher so we can see it, but then we're going _home_. ¿Comprendes?

"Yeh," he sighed dejectedly. He started to leave the pole but then picked it up and carried it with him as they started uphill again. _Maybe I'll be able to get her to change her mind!_ he thought with a smile as they trudged upward.

~HC~

He helped her up on top of a boulder and watched as she looked, finally putting her hands over her eyes in an ineffective effort to improve her view. With the sun already behind the mountain ridge, there was no real glare to reduce.

"I still can't see it," she said with concern growing in her voice. "Bobby, I think we're lost!"

"No way! Let me see," he said as he pulled her arm, trying to get her to climb off of the rock. When she did, he climbed up and starting looking. His hands soon formed an arch over his eyes in the same way his sister's had just moments earlier.

"Betsy, I…I don't see it either," he admitted with disappointment in his voice. "I guess we're not quite high enough to see it yet." He was about to climb down and suggest that they climb higher still when he suddenly exclaimed, "Wait! I think I see something. Yeah, it's coming. Wait—Betsy! It's a coyote!"

Her eyes wide as she looked where Bobby was pointing, Betsy screamed!

~HC~

The beast ordinarily wouldn't have had much interest in humans but these weren't very big and they had that delicious smell with them, so Flop-Ear slowly circled around to be able to approach from a better angle. His smaller companion slunk around the other way, his tail tucked low.

When they were far enough apart, Flop-Ear began his approach.

~HC~

With the bigger coyote moving forward toward them, Bobby launched a rock at the creature, which dodged it almost effortlessly. It continued approaching as Bobby threw another rock; this one didn't even require the beast to dodge.

"Bobby!" called Betsy fearfully as she saw the second coyote approaching. "There's one over here, too!"

"Throw something at it!" said the boy as he tried another rock that missed almost as badly as the last. Realizing how ineffective his efforts were, he reached for the pole he'd been carrying all day. It was then that the big flop-eared coyote made his charge, angling just past the boy toward Betsy.

Bobby shouted, "Not my sister!" as he swung the pole against the creature's side, knocking it slightly off balance. He was surprised when the mangy beast whimpered and collapsed, but the explanation arrived in the form of the sound of the rifle shot that arrived almost immediately thereafter.

~HC~

John switched his rifle's aim from the big coyote toward the smaller one, but Betsy was in the way. Spurring Billy, he charged on up the mountainside, following Buck, Mano, Pedro, Sam, and Tex. As he rode, he said a silent prayer, "Please God, not my children."

~HC~

The smaller coyote had its teeth bared and guttural growls came from its throat as it slowly approached Betsy. She was looking frantically for a stick or something to throw at the creature, but there was nothing there except the small pebbles that she knew would miss anyway.

As the little beast suddenly darted forward, Betsy stumbled sideways and the saddlebags slipped off of her left shoulder. With nothing else to do and Bobby behind her, she screamed as she swung the bags counterclockwise toward the creature. It slipped out of her hand and sailed the few feet toward the coyote.

The little canine dodged easily but grabbed one side of the bag and immediately started running away, dragging it and the delicious smell behind it. The coyote didn't understand or even care what had happened to his bullying companion, but the human had given him exactly what he wanted and he slipped off into the bushes to enjoy the treat in the bag.

Moments later, a father, two uncles, and two small children got the joyous reunion they wanted, too, and Betsy and Bobby were soon on the way home to their mother.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_** _This chapter ended up being bigger than expected, so I'll have the Epilogue complete on Christmas Eve or possibly Christmas Day._

 _Thank you to Cathy and wotwasithinkin for their reviews of and comments on Chapter 3. I greatly appreciate the reviews, comments, follows, and favorites._

 _The coyote was probably a Mearns coyote, but its subspecies wouldn't be classified as such until 1897. The Mearns coyote was originally native to the American Southwest including Arizona and New Mexico, and usually traveled either alone or with its mate of the season or a single hunting companion._

 _I did a good bit of reading on genetics to determine the probability of the children having specific hair and eye colors. The Montoyas would most likely have been of full-blooded Spanish descent. I was surprised to read the percentage of Spaniards that have blue eyes and blonde hair, but neither seem to have been prevalent in Victoria's family. With the Cannon family having both observed in Blue, there is a chance that Bobby and Betsy could have been genetically graced similarly, but I suspect that Annalee's side of the family had something to do with that, so I pictured Betsy looking similar to Victoria and Bobby being initially blonde but having his hair get darker as he aged in a manner similar to myself and my mother._

 _The most common round used in both rifles and pistols was the .44-40 Winchester which had a rated velocity of about 1,300 feet per second during this period. This is faster than the speed of sound (1,126 feet per second), so a bullet fired from a rifle that was, say, 650 feet away would arrive almost a tenth of a second before the sound of the rifle being fired. Of course John wouldn't been that far away to take the shot on the side of the mountain, but that made the math easy._


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

It was Christmas Eve, 1883, and over a week after the children's big adventure. John stopped in front of the door and raised his hand to knock, but he hesitated. He was still angry and was unsure if he could go through with his plan. The thought of his promise to his late mother forced his hand.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

Buck opened the door, his eyes widening in surprise. "Brother John!"

"Buck." John sighed, looking at his brother under a furrowed brow. Buck's face showed relief and sudden happiness, so John passed on the words he'd planned to say. "Buck, the children want you to come with us. I said I'd ask…."

~HC~

Their spat had started on their way home as soon as Bobby started explaining the reason for their expedition.

"Uncle Buck said he could almost touch the moon when he was on top of a big hill, so we got a long pole and were climbing the mountain so we'd be able to reach it. We were going to scrape some off with the can on the pole."

John looked at his son sitting on the saddle in front of him. "Bobby, why on Earth would you want to do that?"

"Uncle Buck said the moon was really old, too, so since green cheese has to sit on the shelf, it shouldn't have to sit there too long before Mamá could eat it for Christmas."

John had turned and looked at his brother incredulously. "Green cheese?"

Buck grimaced and replied, "Yeah, John, ya' know that old wives' tale about the moon being made of it? Well, the moon looked _really_ green that night so I's figured I'd tell 'em that story. John, honest, I didn't dream they'd take it _that_ serious."

"Buck, they're children! They don't always understand the difference in a tall tale and reality. That's why I've told you over and over not to tell them such stories because you can put their lives at risk if they misunderstand, just like you did here." Glaring intently at him, John added, "You can't let that happen again."

John had spurred Billy forward, holding his son tight, as he left his brother behind.

The reunion between Victoria and the children was joyous and filled with tears on both sides. Bobby had refused to tell his mother the reason for the expedition, and, to her surprise, John had nodded in agreement. She let it drop, expecting an explanation from John a little later that evening, but she was surprised when he shook his head.

"Victoria, please, trust me. I'll tell you everything after Christmas."

She adopted a hurt puppy expression on her face but John had only smiled, taken her in his arms and kissed her forehead before saying, " _After_ Christmas."

Later that evening, John and Buck took a walk to the stable. The bunkhouse boys watched as they closed the door, and then listened closely for the fists to fly. Bets were paid off a little later when only muffled words were spoken.

Even after the lecture and Buck's apologies, John was still quite upset and hadn't spoken with him since.

~HC~

They stopped the buckboard at the base of the mountain where it became too steep and rough to continue. Buck and Mano tied their horses to the back and Joe and Pedro stood guard as the family started walking up the steepening incline.

A couple hundred yards along the way that the children had come, John pointed and said, "There it is."

"John! It's perfect!" exclaimed Victoria as she looked at the small fir tree. John had spotted it as they'd brought the children off of the mountain. It was almost 6-feet tall and very well rounded. Bobby and Betsy agreed, and John was smiling as he saw Mano and Buck nodding, too.

The uncles wrapped a rope around it a couple of times to secure the branches and tied it off. Buck held the upper part of the tree as John chopped. On the fourth or fifth swing, it separated. Mano helped Buck get it on his shoulder and soon the family was heading back down the mountainside and then toward home.

~HC~

They decorated the tree that evening after dinner, covering it with ornaments that Victoria had made or collected over the years since she had been married to John and with a few crafts that she had helped the children make. They also draped it with freshly popped corn that they strung in long strands around the tree.

When the decorating was complete, they gathered around the tree with mugs of hot chocolate. Mano, Victoria, and Bobby drank theirs in the traditional Mexican style with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

As they sipped, Victoria told about the pageants that were conducted in Mexico, reenacting the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, the Epiphany celebration, and the piñatas, one of which they would get to break on Christmas day. Then, they reread the Biblical Christmas story and sang a couple of carols before distributing and opening gifts.

The children loved their toys but they seemed rather distracted. On noticing this, John asked, "Bobby, Betsy, what's wrong?"

"We want Mamá to open her present, too," said Betsy as Bobby retrieved it from the chest.

"Here, Mamá!" he said as he pushed a big box into her hands.

"What's this?" she exclaimed as she started unwrapping the present that was too expertly packaged to have been done by small hands.

Opening the box, she was surprised to see not one but two cheese wheels! Her mouth dropped open in surprise but that quickly became a broad smile. "Thank you, children! Where did you get this?"

"Uncle Buck got it for us in town," said Betsy.

Both children were grinning broadly at their mother's reaction, but Bobby continued, his face plastered with concentration as if he was trying to remember something. "Yeah, Uncle Buck said it would probably taste a lot better than some green cheese from the moon that was probably so old it would be…ah, uh…moldy anyway."

John's gaze swung toward his brother. "Buuuck?"

On seeing their father's reaction, Betsy and Bobby started giggling at the prank they'd helped play. Buck grinned and winked at the kids and Victoria. "Got'cha, Brother John!"

Mano was also grinning as he reached behind his chair where he'd stashed a box. Handing it to Victoria, he said, "I picked this up for you as a gift from the children while I was in Tucson the other day."

It was Victoria's turn to grin as she opened the box containing another round of cheese.

John was chuckling as she closed the box. Reaching into a bag next to his chair, he pulled out a box that was somewhat similar in size to the one Mano had just given Victoria. "Well, I made the mistake of not speaking with my brother or my brother-in-law about this, so I had Pedro pick up something in Benson for Victoria from the kids, too."

The children gathered around as Victoria opened the box containing four smaller wheels of four different types of cheeses.

She pulled her children in close and then motioned for John, Buck, and Mano to join in what became a group hug.

"This is the best Christmas!" she said. "I have my children home safe, my family gathered around me, and lots of good cheeses, too! Happy Christmas to all!"

 _The End_

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 _Merry Christmas, everyone! I wish you all a wonderful time filled with peace, happiness, and good cheer._

 _Many thanks to Junebug, wotwasithinkin, and Cathy for the recent comments on Chapter 4, to those who have recently favorited or followed the story, and to everyone for the great support and feedback as this story was being written, too. As a result of that, I've already started work on a new High Chaparral story and hope to have it ready to debut in a few weeks._

 _Christmas trees were popularized in the United States in the early to mid 1800s, and were quite common by the 1870s. Some people used candles as decorations, too, but I don't believe John would have gone for that!_

 _Victoria's Mexican heritage was important to her, hence the children being bilingual and learning of Las Posadas, the ritual processions commemorating Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem resulting in no room in the inn and eventually finding space in a stable, in learning about the coming of the wise men and gift giving on Epiphany, and in participating in the breaking of the piñata._

 _Benson, Arizona, was founded in 1880 at the Southern Pacific railroad crossing of the San Pedro River. It was a small town but would have been closer than Tucson so it would probably have been visited fairly frequently for supplies or fun by the residents of the High Chaparral._

 _Finally, as for the children taking off on an adventure, I have personal experience on that front. When I was about four years old, I spent a week during the summer with my grandparents on the family farm. It was my first time away from home, so I was so excited! Unfortunately, when my grandfather left to go help a neighbor on the farm down the road, I was apparently disappointed about not being invited along, so I went out the front door and started down the country road to find him. My grandmother found me safe, miraculously, a few minutes later, a hundred yards or so down the road!_

 _Thanks again for your support, and until next time,_

 _¡Vaya con Dios!_

 _VST_


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